Chapter 36

The Irretrievable Word

Clark and Lana were crossing the terrace, and almost to the brightly lit doors that led inside, when she wondered where Lois and Bruce were. Being eager to please, Clark tapped into his abilities and listened for Bruce's heartbeat, one he'd come to know very well since they'd left the summer palace. He was surprised to discover Bruce was outside in the garden, somewhere off to their right. More surprising was learning Bruce's heart was racing, something the very fit Sir Bruce only had happen when he was really exerting himself physically.

Suddenly concerned, Clark motioned Lana back to the relative safety of the open doorway and started to draw his sword. "Stay here, Lana. Something's going on with Bruce. I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't alert the palace guards though, it may be nothing."

Lana barely had time to blink before Clark was gone. I wonder if a person ever really gets used to that. It was the second time she'd seen him draw a sword and go off with the intent of using it. The first time, she'd been frightened he was going to die. This time, she felt much better knowing about his near invincibility, but there was still a lump that formed in her throat from seeing him throw himself in harm's way. "Be safe!" she whispered.

Lana stood at the door, anxiously searching left and right, with one part of her desperate to run and tell the palace guard, not because something dangerous was out there, but because Clark was out there looking for something dangerous. The other half of her, though, chose to honor his request to wait, because while she was nervous, she knew he could handle himself with a blade.

It seemed to Lana like the wait took hours, when in reality, it took only seconds before Clark was back at her side with his sword sheathed and a brilliant crimson flush all across his face.

"What happened?" Lana asked.

Clark took Lana's hand and pointed her toward the door, but couldn't seem to look her in the eye. She knew something had gone on and that Clark was seriously embarrassed by whatever it had been.

"Come on, Clark," Lana chided, "you can tell me."

"I, uh…" Clark stuck the first finger of his free hand under his suddenly tight coat collar and tried to loosen it. "Please, Lana, let it go. Nothing…nothing important happened."

Lana reached over with her free arm and patted Clark lightly on his hand. "If it's not important, then you won't have any trouble telling me about it…or are you lying to me and it was important after all?"

Clark let out his breath in an explosive rush and gave Lana an irritated look, only to find her looking back at him expectantly with those big eyes of hers. Shit! "Okay. Promise me you won't tell this to a soul. Not to anyone."

"I promise."

Clark quickly dragged Lana into a secluded corner. If people wanted to think they were making out, that would be just fine by him, as long as they stayed away. "I ran out there, sword drawn and fearing the worst, because I could hear Bruce's heart racing. I thought he was being attacked…it turns out he was, only not by sword-wielding ruffians, but by a lip-wielding Lois Lang."

Lana was so surprised that she snorted as she started to laugh. Once she got her fit of giggles under control, she asked, "Lois and Bruce? Kissing? No way! That is not happening."

"Go out and look for yourself. They're sitting on a wrought iron bench by what looks to be the exit of the hedge maze. Their clothes are still on, thank God, but they both looked like they had been wrestling in the grass or something."

Lana wondered if Lois was truly interested in Bruce, or if she was just having some mostly innocent fun. She'd been caught kissing boys a few times back home, but nothing had ever come of it. "You're serious." A quick nod yes. "Wow." Some more thought. "I guess we just have to pretend you didn't see anything, for the time being."

"And how." Clark pressed his forehead lightly against Lana's. "At least you don't have to ride home with those two. I'm gonna be sitting there, trying not to give anything away, and then Alicia's going to notice a grass stain or something and I'm going to die laughing."

"Poor baby." Lana took Clark's hand and led him back toward everyone else. She knew she had the responsibility to take her place at Harry's side for the rest of the night, so it was time to find him and for Clark to find Alicia.

A bit of looking through the people standing around and talking found neither Harry, Alicia, nor Chloe. Lana finally turned to Clark and asked, "Could you look for them please?"

Clark assumed she meant use his abilities, so he used his hearing to locate Harry and then Alicia, and was somewhat surprised to find them in the same location. Using his x-ray vision to see through the intervening people, he spotted Harry and Alicia gliding across the dance floor with twin smiles of delight on their faces.

Clark nudged Lana, and said, "You may not believe this, but Harry and Alicia are dancing together, and they seem to be enjoying it immensely."

"Really?" Lana breathed. "This I have to see."

Clark and Lana slithered through the crowd on their way to the other end of the Grand Ballroom. The crowd had thinned out somewhat by now, as some had gone home early, and some were outside enjoying the gardens, the weather, or each other.

When they drew close enough to where Alicia and Harry were dancing, Clark gestured and Lana looked on eagerly. "This is just what Alicia's always wanted," Lana said. "I'm so happy for her."

"What? Dancing with Harold?"

"No, dancing with a prince, in his own palace, and looking like she belongs. Our father's somewhat remote barony has always kept us from this kind of life, and Alicia thought we'd never get to experience it."

"Wait until you come to Königsberg after the revolution is over."

"Hmm? You mean the fabled winter palace?"

"Oh yes. It's…" Clark wasn't sure quite how to describe the palace. There were some things he couldn't mention without giving himself away, and others that defied description if you hadn't already seen them. "It's something else. But exactly what it is, you'll have to decide for yourself. I don't want to go overboard and then have you be disappointed once you see it for yourself."

"I'd like that, but I don't know if father will consent to make that long trip."

"Oh…I think I can guarantee he will. And once you are there, it would be my privilege if you would allow me to have the first two dances on your dance card for the first ball you attend."

"I'm yours for as many dances as you wish," Lana said simply. "I hope by then you will have convinced your parents to allow us to marry."

Thinking of how difficult that could end up being, Clark was quiet and said, "I hope so, too."

When the dance ended, Lana and Clark hurried out onto the floor to meet Alicia and Harry, who were chatting animatedly as they walked off.

"Hi, Sis," Lana said. Her excitement was evident to everyone, and Alicia returned it full force until she saw Clark. That made her face fall just a little bit, and it also got her to squeeze Harry's arm just a little tighter, and somewhat possessively.

"Hi, Lana," Alicia replied.

Clark stood right behind Lana, moping ever so slightly as he prepared to switch dancing partners. It wasn't that he had anything against Alicia, the girl was lovely, sweet, and smart, but she just wasn't Lana.

"I see you two have been enjoying yourselves on the dance floor," Clark said to Harry.

"Yes," Harry said. "I found you had run off with my escort, and turned to Alicia to save me from being without a partner in my own palace. She has been a most excellent companion."

At first, Clark had thought Harry was just being nice and helping him out so he could have some time alone with Lana, but the look Harry gave his new escort seemed genuine. Maybe he really did enjoy being with her. Who woulda thought it?

"So, Harold," Harry was surprised to hear Clark call him that, "do you want to reclaim your official partner?"

Harry looked at Lana, who seemed to be quite comfortable with Clark, and then looked down at the hopeful eyes of the young woman on his arm. Realizing she might be tired of coming in second tonight, Harry smiled just for her and then told Clark, without his eyes ever leaving Alicia's, "No, I think I have the right woman."

Chloe had pulled him aside for a second or two earlier and filled him in on Alicia's attachment to Clark before asking him to dance with Alicia to help ease her disappointment, but once he'd gotten the youngest Lang on the dance floor, he'd found her height a better match for his own, and had been pleased to find a bright but respectful conversationalist in such a young woman. He truly had enjoyed his time with Alicia more than he had his time with Lana, so choosing her was not a sacrifice in his eyes by any means. The fact that his choice pleased both Clark and Lana was nothing more than a secondary consideration.

"Just make sure she gets home safely, Harold." Clark eyed his friend closely. "The same rules that applied to Lana apply to Alicia." That was as close as Clark could come to saying 'no funny business' with Alicia. While Clark was passing his message to Harry, the two Lang girls hugged warmly before reclaiming their men and walking away.

Lana and Clark got in another pair of dances before they saw Bruce and Lois come in the same terrace doors they themselves had used earlier. Lana started snickering first when she saw an inordinately pleased look on Lois' face, and Clark joined in when he saw a dazed looking Bruce right behind her.

Neither one trusted themselves enough to go talk to Lois and Bruce without laughing out loud, so they watched from afar as the two ambled over to the refreshments and both collected a large goblet of icy punch.

By the time Lana and Lois were ready to go home, both women were footsore but blissfully happy. In the carriage, with their heavy escort around the them in the slightly chill autumn air, Bruce looked across at Clark, and said, "It looks like you picked up a new escort."

"Harold and I found out our ladies were better off, and we were better off, if we switched. So Lana's coming home with me, and I saw Harold leave the palace with Alicia not too long ago." Deciding he could afford to tease Bruce, as long as he carefully avoided mentioning Lois, Clark said, "I may have a new escort, but you seem to have collected a new set of grass stains on your uniform, Bruce. Good thing it's mostly green."

Bruce was embarrassed, and so was Lois, but since the question was directed at Bruce, he knew he had to come up with an excuse that protected her. He also suspected Clark knew more than he was letting on.

"Well, ummmmmm…I, uh, I tripped on a set of stone steps in the gardens and fell on the grass. It was dark outside, so I didn't recognize the stain until you mentioned it just now." Bruce then made a big show of examining the stain, with Lois promising she'd get the household staff right on that first thing in the morning. Lana's eyes and mouth opened involuntarily when she saw her sister being solicitous over a man's well-being like this.

Still, the mention of the uniforms Clark and Bruce were both wearing triggered something inside of Lana. She'd wondered earlier what military unit they could be from and had thought to ask Lois, but now that the night was almost over, she thought she'd just go ahead and ask Clark.

"Clark?"

"Hmm?"

"I know my father's army wears purple and gold, and the royal family wears white and gold…but what Alemanni army wears green and gold?"

"The Duke of Borussia's army. Crown Prince Kal-El's own."

"And you two men are both officers in that army?"

For some vague reason, Clark didn't like where this line of questioning was headed, but he couldn't decide why.

"Yes…Bruce is a major and, now that I'm finally an adult, I'm a lieutenant. We're both here on half pay." Clark hated telling this lie to Lana, but it was part and parcel of his disguise.

Lana fell silent, and as Bruce and Lois fell into a quiet conversation, Clark studied his love as she balled her hands into fists, stared at her toes, and stewed over what she'd just learned.

"Oh, Clark," Bruce said.

"Yes?"

"Lois introduced me to Prince Harold near the end of the night. We didn't have much time to talk, so he said he wanted to come over tomorrow and meet me properly."

"Oooookay. Did he ask for me to be there or something?"

"Nope. I was just hoping you'd take over some of my swordsmanship classes tomorrow in case the prince is a talker."

"Sure…and by the way, Harold is a talker, but with you, he'll mostly want to listen. I think he's more interested in the Dark Knight than he is in Bruce Wayne."

"Great! Another clown who either thinks I'm a hero or the prince of darkness, depending on what version of my story he heard."

"And which do you think you were?" Clark asked judiciously.

"Neither. I was stuck in the middle somewhere. Just a brash young knight who did as he was told."

Lana hadn't listened to Bruce, not at all, because she was still chewing on what she'd heard from Clark. And despite the love she had for him, she'd come to one incredibly painful conclusion: the man she loved was an out-and-out coward who had abandoned his army, and his leader, when he was needed most.

"You two are both cowards," Lana said. Her words were so quiet that no one heard her clearly the first time she spoke, but the word 'coward' rang out as clear as a bell and shut everyone up but Lana.

She spoke a little more loudly this time. "You two are both cowards."